2 people found this review helpful
Recommended
5.9 hrs last two weeks / 274.7 hrs on record (71.7 hrs at review time)
Posted: Mar 16, 2023 @ 1:36pm

Early Access Review
The ultimate online fighting game... The ultimate boxing game that only needs to fill-out the roster displayed during the ESBC reveal videos | I would love to play as Nonito Donaire and fight against Inoya, or.. the Barrera / Morales additions.
For welterweight so many amazing boxers had been announced - Hell I'd love to play as Tim Bradley!

The only disappointing thing thus far is no announcement for Manny Pacquiao - We have legendary boxers in various weight-classes | I need to have both Pacquiao and Mayweather in the game.
I understand if the developers don't know how to balance Manny Pacquiao's overall rating compared to everyone else... any other excuse isn't acceptable. With the motion capture for the most accurate movement from boxers for me the most interesting punching style, defensive and movement style would be Manny.

With that rambling complaint aside the game itself feels like Fight Night with additional strategic movement and punch options. Cutting angles feels amazing - nothing like getting beat round after round to get a one punch (near no stamina) uppercut after reading my opponents defenseless movement.

(Fury vs Ali - clip link is here: https://clips.twitch.tv/FurryIntelligentRutabagaStinkyCheese-X3rRJelbbVz71v8p )

Sugar Ray Robinson vs Sugar Ray Robinson - round 3: I have been knocked down twice, but I utilized near perfect defense while staggered and at immediate recovery allowing this brutal power KO (power left hook, moving into a power right hook). My ranked opponent seemed to break his controller or leave in anger as it was only the first knock-down and he would have been able to get up with more stamina than I had remaining. That's a complaint for my opponent but it makes a helluva KO in a cinematic sense.
Clip of this below:
https://clips.twitch.tv/SillyStrangeTubersRickroll-qF16tqI32pXlgemX

I love playing the weekly (once a day attempt) match-ups, I often will play against the CPU in 15 rounds to work on my stamina moderation to translate over into my ranked multiplayer play.

outside of missing 100 of the boxers announced during a year+ long reveal campaign... I hope these are still included in the road map (ESBC turned into Undisputed therefore I am unsure... someone will clarify in the comment section).
I look forward to the boxer creation, career mode and all of the great stuff coming to the game - now is the time to start playing - get the advantage and start learning the best boxing experience ever made.

Let's work dedicate servers for fights rather than player lobbies | Leap is a recent crossplay game that has a server browser and is better for having dedicated servers.
If the server number is over-allocated it would essentially still be the same queue as waiting for a lobby formation... or even better add a SPECTATOR MODE for servers. By hitting Ready Up you are confirmed to fight next and get to watch the fight as if it was a duel in an arena shooter! This would be a HUGE move for not only the esports community but casual players as well.

Let's get some chat in game (keyboard / text based is fine as the primary method - voice can be a secondary option).

Let's hurry up and patch in being able to switch stances as many boxers I want to play as my MAIN (Crawford) his benefits are destroyed for online play; if I can't rapidly switch stances I am unable to cut angles / utilize the closest punch or to utilize it for defensive purposes.

Alright with that said the base experience we have thus far is easily the best boxing game released | I'm going to score it based on just the feel of the game-play

88/100 | Can easily be a 94-95 rating with these fixes and additions - perhaps even a close to perfect / the definitive fight game experience with dedicated servers and the ability to spectate players.
I'd just add a lobby of all current matches in-game with the ability to view them from the menu or load in full-screen.
( this is something Project 1v1 had during it's QA phase before development stopped )

- PS -
Online leagues currently exist but some force players to use some sort of cloud gaming network for consistent network play which has its own input latency problems according to the various streamers I spoke with about this topic.. I have not tried this software myself but this is a huge problem when the community needs to engage in downloading and enforcing restrictive rule-sets | when the game is released on console platforms cross play will be tarnished with having enforced software in order to play.

Let's just get those dedicated servers going.
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